Mine stopping



Jan. 3, 1956 J. R. KENNEDY ET AL MINE STOPPING 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledApril 23 1953 Jack Kennedy Samue/ F. Kennedy INVENTORS Jan. 3, 1956 J.R. KENNEDY er AL MINE STOPPING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25 1955Kram.

Jac/r Kennedy Samuel E Kennedy INVENTORS BY my@ Wwm- United StatesPatent O MINE STOPPING Jack R. Kennedy and Samuel F. Kennedy,Taylorville, Ill.

Application April 23, 1953, Serial No. 350,557

11 Claims. (Cl. 61-45) This invention relates to a pre-fabricated,telescoping, and easily installed stopping and has for its particularobject the provision of salvageable means for use as an air stop inmines.

The construction of this invention features the use of a plurality oftelescoping panels of variable widths and lengths adapted to beresiliently secured to Whalers an chored in the rib of coal or materialbeing mined in such manner that when the mine bottom is subject to asqueeze the resulting displacement of various portions of the bottomwill not buckle the stopping but the panels will telescope to maintain asatisfactory air stop.

Stopping now used in mines is for the most part constructed of cementblocks permanently secured in place. This is unsatisfactory due to thefact that this installation is very costly and completely unsalvageableeven when there is no longer any purpose for the stopping. Furthermorethis masonry stopping may crumble when the mine is subject to anupheaval or squeeze Accordingly, it is the primary object of theinvention to provide a readily salvageable mine stopping capable ofbeing speedily erected at a comparatively low cost.

Still further objects and features of the invention reside in theprovision of a mine stopping that is strong and durable, capable ofbeing installed by even semi-skilled labor, constructed from a minimumnumber of parts, which is easily caulked for complete prevention of owof air, yet which may be easily disassembled.

These, together with the various ancillary objects which will becomeapparent as the following description pro-I ceeds, are attained by thisstopping, a preferred embodiment of which hasbeen illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the stopping comprising thepresent invention as installed;

`Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view as taken along theplane of line 2 2 in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view in an enlarged scale as takenalong the plane of line 3--3 in Figure l;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view illustrating the use of anoverlapping panel used to complete the Stopping;

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of theclamping means used to resiliently hold the panels against thehorizontal support bars or whalers;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the clamp used in holding theoverlapping panel in position;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configurationof the telescoping portions of a panel;

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the clamping means used in holding thepanels to the whalers; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a spring plate used in holding thepanels in abutting engagement with each other.

With continuing reference to each other wherein like reference numeralsdesignate similar parts throughout the various views reference numeral10 is used to generally indicate the stopping comprising the presentinvention and adapted to be used in an air stop in a mine having a topICC 12, a bottom 14 and ribs 16. The stopping 10 includes angle shapedWhalers or support bars 18 and 20 the ends of which are embedded in therib 16. The support bars are preferably each formed out of threesections which overlap each other, the sections being designated 18a,18h and 18e, and 20a, 20h and 20c respectively. The intermediatesections 18b and 20b overlap the end sections permitting use for varioussizes of stopping.

The Whalers 18 and 20 are substantially horizontal and are positioned inparallel relationship to each other and are adapted to provide means forsupporting the plurality of pairs of telescoping outer and inner panels22 and 24 respectively. It is to be noted that the pairs of panels arearranged in side by side abutting relationship and alternately the innerpanel is the upper and lower panel. This because this arrangementpermits the panels to intermesh to the greatest extent decreasing theair space therebetween thus reducing the amount of caulking 25necessary. Each of the panels 22 and 24 are substantially channel-shapehaving fr ont walls 26 and 28, rearwardly ,z extending portions 30, 32and 34, 36 and inwardly converging L-shaped flanges 38, 40 and 42, 44respectively.. As best seen in Figures 2 and 9, there are providedarcuate spring-like plates 46 of somewhat greater length than the widthof the front Walls 26 and 28 which are adapted to resiliently urge thesheet metal rearwardly extending portions into intimate engagement witheach other.

in order to hold the panels 22 and 24 against the whalers 18 and 23there are provided clamping means comprising substantially U-shapedplates 48 having threaded rods 50 press fitted therein. The rods 50extend through the whalers 18 and 2i? and the U-shaped plates 48 engagethe LShaped anges in such manner as to resiliently hold the panels 22and 24 in engagement with the Whalers 18 and 2th The rods 5t) havethereadedly secured thereon nuts 52 which engage the whalers 18 and 20.The precise by suitable wires 60 or any other type of fastening means.-

This permits the sealing of the top and bottom of the stopping 10especially since the panels will telescope to conform to the contours ofthe top 12 and bottom 14.

In the process of assembling the stopping 10 the panels are preferablyerected starting at one side or rib' 16.

v The panels are, as heretobefore defined, arranged in abuttingrelationship. However, due to the irregularities in the dimensions ofthe mine, the panels can seldom be positioned so as to complete thestructure without neces; sitating the use of overlapping pairs of panels22p and 24p. Actually the panel at the other side is placed in positionand the penultimate panel 22p and 24p is then placed in position withthe outer surfaces of the flanges 38p, 46p and 42p, 44p abutting the twospaced panels as can be best seen in Figure 4. The clamp having centralconnecting portions 62 interconnecting legs 64 and 66 is positioned witha threaded shaft portion 68 extending through the whalers 18 and 20 andwith the legs 64 and 66 engaging the inner surfaces of the L-shapedanges 38p, 40p and 42p, 44p. Clamp fixtures 70 engageable However,should an explosion occur in the mine, the door formed by the plate I6will open permitting equalization of pressure.

For further rigidifying the structure, braces 8G are bolted to thewhaler 18 at one end thereof. The other end of the braces 80 are securedby expansion fasteners 32 to the top i2, the braces extending angularlyupwardly from the Whaler 18.

Since from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of this minestopping is readily apparent, further description is believed to beunnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specificationand accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention tothe precise embodiment shown and described, but all suitablemodincations and equivalents 'may be readily resorted to which faitwithin the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stopping for mines comprising at least one substan'tiallyhorizontally extending support bar adapted to be embedded in the rib ofa mine, a plurality of pairs of vertically extending telescoping panels,and means resiliently clampingly securing said pairs of panels to saidsupport ba'r in abutting relationship with the next adjacent pair 'ofpanels whereby upon distortion of said mine bottom from a squeeze saidpairs of panels will telescope, one panel within another.

2. A stopping for mines comprising a pair of spaced substantially.parallel and substantially horizontally extending support bars adaptedto be embedded in the rib of a mine, a plurality of pairs of verticallyextending telescoping panels, and clamp members having parts thereofextending through said support bars and clampingly secur ing said pairsof panels to said support bars in abutting relationship with the nextadjacent pair of panels whereby upon distortion of said mine bottom froma squeeze said pairs of panels will telescope, one panel within another.

3. A stopping for mines comprising a pair of spaced substantiallyparallel and substantially horizontally extending support bars adaptedto be embedded in the rib of a mine, a plurality of pairs of verticallyextending telescoping panels, and clamp members having parts thereofextending through said support bars and clampingly securing said pairsof panels to said support bars in abutting relationship with the nextadjacent pair of panels whereby upon distortion of said mine bottom froma squeeze said pairs of panels will telescope, one panel within another,and braces secured to the 'upper of said support bars, and meanssecuring said braces to the top of said mine.

4. A stopping for mines comprising a plurality of pairs of verticallytelescoping panels of channel shape with each of said pairs of panelscomprising an inner panel having a pair ofk rearwardly extending flangeportions and an outer panel having a pair of rearwardly extending ilangeportions, and means resiliently clampingly holding said pairs of panelsin abutting relationship, and spring plates within the inner panel ofeach pair of panels resiliently engaging the pair of flange portions ofeach of the inner panels urging the flange portions of said inner panelsagainst the ange portions of said outer panels to resiliently hold theange portions of the outer panels of adjacent pairs of panels inengagement.

5. A stopping for mines comprising a pair of spaced substantiallyparallel and substantially horizontally extending support bars, aplurality of pairs of vertically extending telescoping panels of channelshape with each of said pairs lof panels comprising an inner panelhaving a pair of rearwardly extending ange portions and an outer panelhaving a pair of rearwardly extending ange portions, means resilentlyclampingly securing said pairs ot panels to said support bars inabutting relationship with the next adjacent panel, and spring plateswithin the inner panel of each pair of panels resiliently 'engaging thepair of flange portions of each of the inner panels urging the 4 flangeportions of said inner panels against the ange portions of said outerpanels to resiliently hold the flange portions of the outer panels ofadjacent pairs of panels in engagement.

6. A stopping for mines comprising at least one substantiallyhorizontally extending support bar, a plurality of pairs of verticallyextending telescoping panels, and means resiliently clampingly securingsaid pairs of panels to said support bar in abutting relationship withthe next adjacent pair of panels, said panels being substantiallychannel-shaped, said means comprising clamps having substantiallyU-shap'ed plates engaging said channel-shaped panels.

7. A stopping for mines comprising a pair of spaced substantiallyparallel and substantially horizontally extending support bars, aplurality of pairs of vertically extending telesccping panels, and meansresiliently clamp ingly securing said pairs of panels to said supportbars in abutting relationship with the next adjacent pair of panels,said panels being substantially channel-shaped, said means comprisingclamps having substantially U-shaped plates engaging said channel-shapedpanels, said clamps includ ing threaded rods extending through saidsupport bars, and clamp elements threadedly secured on said rodsengaging said support bars, and spring plates within said panelsresiliently holding said panels in engagement with the next adjacentpanel.

8. A stopping for mines comprising a pair of spaced substantiallyparallel and substantially horizontally exA tending support bars, aplurality of pairs of vertically ex tending telescoping panels, andmeans resiliently clampingly securing said pairs of panels to saidsupport bars in abutting relationship with the next adjacent pair ofpanels, said panels being substantially channel-shaped, said meanscomprising clamps having substantially U-shaped plates engaging saidchannel-shaped panels, said clamps including threaded rods extendingthrough said support bars, and clamp elements secured on said rodsengaging said support bars, the penultimate pair of panels overlappingthe space between the end pair of panels at said side of said stoppingand said plurality of pairs of panels, and clamp members ofsubstantially U-shape engaging said penultimate pair of panels, saidclamp members having threaded shafts extending through said supportbars, and clamp xtures engaging said threaded shafts and said supportbars resiliently holding said penultimate pair of panels in itsoverlapping position, and braces secured to the upper of said supportbars, and means securing said braces to the top of said mine.

9. A mine stopping comprising a plurality of vertically extendingextensible panels mounted in abutting side-byside relation with respectto each other and extending from one rib to the other in a passageway ina mine and from the bottom to the top thereof, a plurality of horizontalcross beams extending along said panels and having said panelsdetachably secured thereto, said cross beams overlapping -at theiradjacent ends for extension with respect to each other and beinganchored at their outer ends in the ribs lof the entry, and detachablesecuring means detachably holding said panels to said cross beams.

l0. A mine stopping comprising a plurality of cross beams lapping attheir adjacent ends for extension with respect to each other and adaptedto be anchored at their outer ends in opposite ribs of a cross-cut, aplurality of panels extensible from a mine bottom to top and extend ingalong said cross beams in side-by-side relation 'with respect to eachother, a plurality of clips secured to said cross beams 'and engagingsaid panels and detachably clipping said panels thereto, a iiller panel[or filling a gap between adjacent panels 'of a lesser width than thewidth of a panel, and clamping members engaging said filler panel andsupported on said cross beams to bring said filler panel into tightengagement with the insides of adjacent panels.

l1. A stopping for mines comprising a pair of spaced substantiallyparallel and substantially horizontally eX- tending support bars, aplurality of pairs of vertically extending telescoping panels, and meansclampingly securing said panels to said support bars in abuttingrelationship with the next adjacent panel, said panels beingsubstantially channel-shaped, said means comprising clamps ofsubstantially U-shaped cross section engaging said channel-shapedpanels, said clamps including threaded rods extending through saidsupport bars, and clamp elements threadedly secured on said rodsengaging said support bars.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

